Baekho can see Ren in the living room, curled against the couch and sewing little bags together and places most of them in a huge pile on the seat beside him.

And though his headphones are blasting some music, Ren greets a soft “evening,” and the music pauses.

“I’m sorry, it was stressful.” Baekho adds and takes off his jacket, kneeling down on the wooden floors right by Ren.

“I know.”

Baekho smiled, Ren did have that gift. He knows it’s not from being a witch, there were other abilities that came to that, but that feeling Ren often got was something unique to him.

“Want me to help?”

“It’s fine, I find it relaxing anyhow.” Ren says and loops some string through the bags. Baekho knows they’re often used to hold the different mixes of herbs Ren keeps lying about the house.

“Why are the strings different colors?” Baekho asks, thinking now that maybe the different colors weren’t so random at all.

Ren twists about and lays against the armrest. “Greens are for medicines, blue is for moods, yellow for mild cases, red for extremely dangerous ones.”

Baekho sees the amount of red strings and sways away from it just a bit. “Are you hungry?” He asks then.

“A bit, I’ve already made dinner if you’d like.”

Baekho gives a wary look but Ren shushes him. “It’s a normal dinner, don’t worry, completely Korean and bland.”

“I’m sorry I don’t add all the spices that you do.” Baekho adds and aims to stand up when Ren stops him.

“Hold on,” Ren murmurs. Baekho looks down as the witch pulls a purple string and ties it around Baekho’s wrist.

Baekho’s used to it, Ren always interweaved purple into his things. “I’ll bring you back a plate,” Baekho says with a smile and walks to the kitchen.

As someone who spends most of his days helping to manage a hospital, it’s exhausting how far he has to go just to come home at normal hours. Ren is also gone most of the time though, and Baekho often worries their heavy schedules will clash.

Ren, of course, has a feeling about these things, and tends to be home just as Baekho is. And his strained mood rises when he sees the other.

“Ren, where’s the-”

The drawer beside him opens with a burst. “Thank you!” Baekho calls out.

And when he turns around to return the bottle to the fridge, he jumps at Ren’s abrupt presence. Baekho tried to be used to this behavior but it was difficult.

“Ren, you need to announce yourself.”

“And you, need to be more aware of your surroundings.” Ren says and pulls himself up on the counter and sits atop.

At Ren’s coy smile, it makes Baekho a bit nervous. And as Ren shifts his plate away and pulls his purple string, he places his hand in his.

“I haven’t seen you in days.” Ren murmurs.

Baekho lowers his eyes and reaches his arms around Ren’s, apologetic about that fact. “I’m sorry,” he says earnestly and Ren leans his forehead against his.

“Make it up to me then,” Ren encourages and chuckles as he closes his eyes. Baekho grins and relaxes as Ren kisses him first, and he can’t stop smiling into their kiss.

In the back part of his mind, he reminds him to ask what purple meant in Ren’s list of colors. And as Ren pulls him closer and cranes his neck, Baekho doesn’t think of anything else.

He decides he’d ask him another day.

-